Stationery having snap-open envelope with remailable portion

Abstract

Stationery including a snap-open envelope having perforations arranged so that an end portion separates from the remaining portion to expose the contents. The remaining portion provides a return or reusable envelope having an end closure flap which, when the return envelope is closed, may cover a portion of the front panel of the original envelope, with a portion of the original back panel of the original envelope becomming the front panel of the return envelope. The snap-on envelope can be of the pasted type having front and back panels die out or perforated from different paper sheets with the panels pasted together to form the envelope and with an insert or information sheet between the panels. This envelope can be processed by high speed data processing equipment including commputer driven printing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A mailing envelope capable of containing an element to be mailed comprising front and back sides connected in facing relation, and upper, lower, left and right edges when viewing said front side, said front and back sides including front and back panels, respectively, mailing address means on the exterior of said front panel for mailing the envelope, return address means on the exterior of one of said panels, first and second tear lines of perforations extending substantially between the upper and lower eges of the envelope respectively on said front and back sides dividing the envelope into separable left and right envelope portions each including a part of said back side and a part of said front side, one of said lines of perforations being disposed closer to the left edge of the envelope than the other of said lines of perforations so that upon separation of said left and right envelope portions the back side part of one of said envelope portions has a greater left-to-right dimension than that of the front side part of said one envelope portion to provide a closure end flap foldable over said front side part for closing said one envelope portion whereby said one envelope portion is usable to mail an element therein, said left and right envelope portions remaining together when the envelope is mailed, said one envelope portion includes said return address means for mailing said one envelope portion, said mailing address means and said lines of perforations being so relativey disposed on the envelope that said closure end flap is capable of covering at least a portion of said mailing address means when folded over said front side part of said one envelope portion to close said one envelope portion, said front and back panels being discrete sheets secured together by adhesive means between facing marginal portions of said panels but with sections of said facing marginal portions laterally between said tear lines of perforations being substantially free of said adhesive means so that said sections of said front panel are capable of movement relative to said sections of said back panel during the opening of the envelope to allow the opening of the envelope along said tear lines of perforations. 
     
     
       2. The envelope of claim 1 wherein said front side consists only of said front panel and said back side consists only of said back panel, a portion of said mailing address means is disposed on each of said separable left and right envelope portions, and said closure end flap substantially covers the portion of said mailing address means on said one envelope portion when said closure end flap is folded over said front side part of said one envelope portion to close said one envelope portion for mailing. 
     
     
       3. The envelope of claim 2 wherein said return address means is on the exterior of said back panel and positioned thereon so as to be on said one envelope portion and constitute the mailing address for said one envelope portion. 
     
     
       4. The envelope of claim 1 wherein said return address means is disposed so as to be readable when the envelope is rotated 180° about the longer axis thereof from the position wherein said mailing address means is readable and then rotated 90° about an axis that intersects the plane of the envelope. 
     
     
       5. A mailing envelope comprising a front side, and a back side connected to said front side in facing relation for containing an element therebetween to be mailed, each of said sides being free of an address window, the envelope having upper, lower, left and right edges when viewing the front side, said front and back sides including front and back panels, respectively, mailing address means for mailing the envelope disposed on the exterior surface of said front panel, return address means on the exterior of one of said panels, first and second tear lines of perforations extending between the upper and lower edges of the envelope respectively on said front and back sides dividing the envelope into left and right envelope portions which are separable on said first and second lines of perforations upon opening the envelope by pulling the right and left envelope portions apart, said left envelope portion including a part of said front panel and a part of said back panel with one of said parts being longer from left-to-right than the other of said parts to provide an end closure flap foldable over said other part for closing said left envelope portion so that it can contain and mail an element, said left and right envelope portions remaining together and said front and back sides being connected together at the left and right edges of the envelope when the envelope is mailed, said left envelope portion, after said flap is folded over said other part includes said return address means for mailing said left envelope portion but is essentially free of said mailing address means, said front side comprising only said front panel, said back side comprising only said back panel, and adhesive means between marginal facing surfaces of said panels so that they are adhesively interconnected adjacent each of said edges but with sections of said facing marginal portions laterally between said tear lines of perforations adjacent said upper and lower edges being substantially free of said adhesive means so that said sections of said front panel are movable relative to said sections of said back panel during the opening of the envelope to allow the opening of the envelope along said tear lines of perforations. 
     
     
       6. The mailing envelope of claim 1, or 5 wherein said tear lines of perforations extend substantially in straightline fashion and to the upper and lower edges of the envelope. 
     
     
       7. A mailing envelope comprising a front side including a front panel adapted to receive postage means at the upper right corner thereof, mailing address means on said front panel for mailing said envelope, second address means on the exterior of said envelope, and a back side connected in facing relation to said front side and including a back panel, each of said sides being free of an address window, a first tear line of perforations extending between the lower and upper edges of said front side, a second tear line of perforations extending between the lower and upper edges of said back side and disposed closer to the right edge of the envelope when said mailing address is readable than said first line of perforations, said lines of perforations dividing the envelope into left and right envelope portions which are separable at said lines of perforations to open the envelope upon applying a force tending to pull said envelope portions apart; said left envelope portion when separated from said right envelope portion having a right closure flap including a portion of said back panel for closing the left envelope portion so that the left envelope portion can contain an element for mailing, said left and right envelope portions remaining together and said front and back sides being connected together at the left and right edges of said envelope when said envelope is mailed, and mailing address means being so disposed on said front panel that said closure flap covers a portion of said mailing address means when folded back for closing said left envelope portion, said second address means being located such that it is on said left envelope portion for mailing the same, said front and back panels being discrete sheets adhesively connected together by adhesive means between facing marginal surfaces adjacent each of the upper, lower, right, and left edges but with marginal sections of each of said panels between said perforations substantially free of said adhesive means so that said sections of said front panel are movable relative to said sections of said back panel, and said mailing address means being disposed on said front panel so that a portion thereof is on both said right and left envelope portions. 
     
     
       8. A mailing unit comprising front and back discrete sheets of paper in facing relation, adhesive means for holding said sheets together to form an envelope having upper and lower side edges and laterally spaced left and right side edges, a pair of tear lines of weakness extending between the upper and lower side edges of said envelope respectively on said front and back sheets dividing said envelope into separable left and right envelope portions which separate along said tear lines in response to forces tending to pull them apart, each of said envelope portions including a part of said back sheet and a part of said front sheet, said tear lines being laterally spaced apart so that when said envelope is opened one of said parts of one of said envelope portions is laterally longer than the other part of said one envelope portion to provide an end closure flap foldable over said other part for closing said one envelope portion whereby said one envelope portion is usable to contain and mail an element disposed therein, said adhesive means being disposed between marginal facing portions of said sheets but with predetermined facing marginal portions of said sheets adjacent said upper and lower edges between said tear lines substantally free of said adhesive means so that said predetermined facing marginal portions on one of said sheets are slidable relative to those on the other sheet to facilitate the opening of said envelope. 
     
     
       9. The mailing unit of claim 8 including return address means on the exterior side of one of said sheets for use as a mailing address for said one envelope portion. 
     
     
       10. The mailing unit of claim 9 including mailing address means on the exterior of said front sheet for mailing said envelope, at least a portion of said mailing address means being covered by said end closure flap when folded over said other part of said one envelopeportion. 
     
     
       11. The mailing unit of claim 8 or 10 wherein said tear lines are straight-line lines of perforations extending substantially to the upper and lower edges of said sheets. 
     
     
       12. The mailing unit of claim 8 or 9 wherein said flap is a part of said back sheet, and said address means is on said front sheet and located relative to said perforations such that said flap covers a portion of said address means when folded over said other part. 
     
     
       13. The mailing unit of claim 12 wherein said tear lines are perforation lines each extending in single straight line fashion and parallel to said left and right side edges. 
     
     
       14. The mailing unit of claim 8 wherein said address means is disposed wholly on the other of said envelope portions.